On the ferry ride back from Rangitoto Island (see last post here), Izzy, David, and I met 3 guys living in Australia. We had a great time sitting with them and learning about eachother. Later that night we all found eachother on Facebook and decided to meet up the next day to travel somewhere together. There is something about traveling that makes it so easy to be comfortable around strangers; to treat them as friends. This is something I hope to take back with me when I go home: the ability to open myself to others and share special moments with everyone in my life, not just my closest friends and family but maybe even the strangers I meet along they way.
The next day we took a ferry to a cute little town called Devonport. There we walked/hiked up Mount Victoria and had a great view of Auckland city center and Rangitoto Island.
It was such a beautiful day to walk around. It was so nice not having a plan and just going wherever we felt like it, whenever we felt like it. This is something I am not used to at all. Usually my whole life is planned to the last minute, and I am always thinking about the next thing on my list. But I have come to really enjoy the strange feeling that I can enjoy the moment; that I do not have to rush back for anything. This is also something I hope stays with me.
You'll never guess what was on the top of Mount Victoria...
MUSHROOMS!
Haha, there were giant mushrooms everywhere! (A clever way to disguise vents!)
We also visited the Torpedo Bay Navy Museum for a little while before heading over to another giant hill, Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park. We got to walk around in the underground bunkers (I scared one of the guys in the dark, hehe) and play on the giant gun/cannon!
We did hang out with our new friends again before they left, but who knows whether our paths will cross again?
